Gun



E H. ELDER May 13, 1924,

GUN

Filed March 22 ,l

FILLL NVENTOR.

4 ATTORNEY.

tion and retaining said lever Patented May 13, 1924.

y 1,44305 sie.

EDWARD H. ELDER, 0F CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

GUN.

Application led March 22, 19:23.

T 0 a-ZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD H. ELDER, a citizen 'of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicopee Falls, inthe county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guns, of which the 'following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in breech-loading guns, and resides in a novel frame, peculiar shell-extractor means, a block at the front end of the frame, which block is recessed to receive and locate a lug on the barrel, means to secure said barrel in place on said block, and a resilient abutment that acts through intervening parts and members on the hand-lever, the aforesaid elements being arranged and combined with other elements which are old to make up a complete gun, all as hereinafter set forth.

The method of making the aforesaid frame is also comprehended in the invention.

One object of my invention is to provide for a gun a very inexpensive, yet strong and durable, iframe which atlords housings for the continguous ends of the stock and forewood, and serves in the usual capacity as supporting and enclosing means for the look, tiring, and extracting mechanisms. This frame also provides a support :tor the breech terminal oic the barrel, and makes it possible to secure said barrel to said 'frame by4 means of a bolt passed upwardly through said frame near the orward'end thereof.

A further object is to provide a swinging or rocking breech piece with a projection that is adapted to throw out or force the eX- tractor rearwardly when the gun is opened,7 thus eiecting a saving in parts and expense, without sacrificing anything to efficiency.

In time and due to wear the parts .become loose so that the hand lever of the gun, when in closed position, drops away from the frame, instead of remaining in contact therewith as it should, and hangs loosely with morer or less vibration as the gun is handled and moved about, and another object is to overcome this objection, which l do by providing means for taking up lost moagainst said frame at all times when in closed position.

Still other objects and advantages will appear in the following description.

Although some or all of the features ot Serial No. 696,979

this invention might be applied to shotguns they arel especially designed for and intended to be applied to riiies.

l attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical or longitudinal secw tion through a rifle wherein my improvements are embodied, the greater portions of the stock, barrel, and Jfore-wood of the rile being broken ott1 Fig. 2, a generally similar view to the preceding view, but illustrating the operation of the movable parts and members; Fig. 3, a front end elevation of the Lil-shaped trame.; Fig. l, aside elevation of said frame, and, Fig. 5, a plan of the frame blank. i I

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

The old parts ot the rifle. illustrated in `connection herewith, and in connection and combination with which my improved features are used, are enumerated and somewhat brieiiy described as follows: Abreech 1 and a retaining screw or bolt 2 therefor, a. barrel 3, a fore-wood 4t, a hammer 5, a trigger 6, a double spring 7 for said hammer and trigger, a breech-bloeit 8, a. firing-pin 9, an operating lever 10 provided with a handle 1, a link 12, and an extractor 13. rlhe bolt 2 extends lengthwise through the stock 1;

The bore of the barrel 3 is enlarged at the rear terminal to form a chamber 14;` for the cartridge. The rear end of the lchamber 14 1s enlarged, as at 15, to provide space for they rim ol: the cartirdge, and the barrel 3 is cut away in the usual manner to accommodate the extractor 13. The extracto-r 13 occupies a Aposition which enables the same, when actuated rearwardly, to carry with it and partially remove from thechamber '14 the cartridge or cartridge shell. The extractor 13 has a rearwardly-extending stem 16 slidingly arranged in a passage in the barrel 3. beneath and parallel with the axis of saidv closed locates said tiring-pin in position to strike the rim of the cartridge at a point adjacent to the bottom edge thereof. The action of the firing-pin 9 will be clearly understood from the drawings. The tiringpin is slotted at 19, and a pin 2O in the breech-block 8 extends through the slot to limit the rearward movement of said tiring- The breech-block 8 has at the bottom a forward extension 21 which is beneath the breech portion of the barrel 3.

The link 12 at the upper terminal is pivotally connected at 22 with the breech-block 8, and at the lower terminal at 23 with the contiguous terminal of the lever 10. The link has a nose 24 for engagement with the adjacent :tace of the hammer rlhere two trigger notches 25 on the bottom ot the hammer 5.

The new features comprise a U-shaped, sheet-metal frame 26 provided with rear and front retaining blocks 27 and 28, respectively, the top of the front block beine` recessed at 29 to receive a lun' 30 on the bot-- tom of the barrel 3 in advance of the luf7 or part of said barrel in which the extractor stem 16 is located, and said front block being),- provided on the back side with a resilient abutment 31; a bolt 32 by means of which said barrel is securely fastened to said front block; and an extraetor-operating finger 33 rising' from the rear endk of the breech-block extension 21.

The frame 26 is made by stamping out of sheet-metal a blank in substantially the form illustrated in Fig. 5, and cuttingr in the longitudinal center of such blank openings 34, 35, and 36, the irst and third ot suoli openings being respectively in advance ot and behind the second of such openings, after which such blank is bent along lines on both sides of and parallel with the aforesaid longitudinal center to form a bottom and parallel sides, substantially as shown in Figs. 3 and t. rThe bolt 32 has at the lower end a head 37, and the opening in the frame 26 is provided to receive the upper portion of such head. The lever 10 is received and operates in the openingf In stamping; out the blank for the iframe 26 and cuttingr the opening,T 35, oppositelvdisposed lugs 38 are left, and the lever 10 is pivotally connected at 39 with said trame immediately adjacent to said lugs. The lugs 38 are provided to augment the :trame at the bottom and permit the pivot pin to be inserted in the sides of said trame at lower points than would be possible in the absence of such lugs. The trigger 6 is re` ceived and operates in the opening 36, and said trigger is pivotally connected at 40 with the sides of the frame.

The retaining;r blocks 27 and 28 tit the space betwen the sides of the trame 26, and

are securely riveted to said sides, there being` three rivets atl for said first-named block and two rivets el ilor said secondnamed block. The trame 26 thus reentorced with the blocks 2? and 28 is sufficiently strong, rigid, and durable for the purpose t'or which the same is designed, is practically equal to a forged frame or one made of a malleable casting, and no millingr operations are required, as in the case ot either the forged or malleabledron trame.

The block 27 is angular, consisting of an. approximately vertical arm and an approximately horizontal arm, and has at the top of the rear end an overhanging part 42. rllhe horizontal arm entends forwardly from the vertical arm ot the trame 26. The rear end of the part ii2 is flush with the rear edges oit the sides of the frame 26, and such part completes a housing; for the forward end of the stock l, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, such forward end beine received between the bottom ot said A,trame and said part 42, and between he sides of said frame, be-

lear through the stock 1 and tapped the vertical ot the block The block 28 is set in a short distance roni the en remo front end of the trame 26, `or thel purpose of pr ,viding a housing; for he rear-end portion ot the tore-wood 1l, u lh portion beine' received between the bote and the bottom ot the i 3, and between the sides of said trame. bolt extends upwardly through the opening t in the liame. and through a suitbore with ch the block 28 is provided into the lugaY 36 and the barrel 3 above said lue', being; tapped into said iupY and barrel. The head 3'? ot the bolt 32 enters the openingv and bears against the bottom of the block The barrel 3 is drawn down tightly onto the block 28, with the lug 3() in the recess 2), and there securely and rigidly held, by means oi" the bolt the bolt head 3.' iai-rv be provided with a ring' to Jfacilithe removal of the bolt 32 when it is red to disengagre the barrel 3, and the replacing oi said bolt after said barrel has been returned to normal position.

The extension is pivotally connected `acent to its rear terminal, at 44, with the s ot' the frame 26, it being understood said extension and the breech-block 8 are received with a sliding or operating lit between the sides ot the frame Y26, as also are the lever 10, the lower portion of the hammer 5, ant. the upper portion ot the triea'er 6. The upper.. tree terminal. ot the resilient abn nt 31 bearsagainst. the heel i 21 above the horizontal l is ot the pivot pin 4%, consequently said abutment has a constr it tendency to swing' the forward portion ot said 0 lll breech-block in place.

see Fig. 2.

extension .with the breech-block 8 downwardly. When the `breech-block 8 is'inV its,

elevated and closed position against the back end ofthe barrel 3, the pivot 23 is beyond or at the left of a .plane common to the axes ofthe pivots 22 and 39, thus locking said Vith the parts disposed as just described, the handle 11 is in contact with thev under side ofthe frame 2G, and said handle is retained in such position by the action of the abutment 31 on the eX- tension 21, since the tendenoy'of said abutment to force downwardly the rear end of said extension is transmitted through .the pivot 22 to the link 12, and the latter vis thereby caused to exert through the pivotv 23 force in a forwardly direction on the inner part of the lever 10, and, since said lever is mounted on the pivot 39, the lever crowds said handle against saidframe. The rlever 10 is thus retained under a tension which preventsthe handle 11 from dropping away from Athe frame. rlhe partsv and members are at this time disposed as represented in' the first view.

rlhe hammer 5 is pivotally connected at 45 with the sides of the frame 26. Both the hammer 5 and the trigger@ are controlled by the spring 7 in the usual manner, and the notched base of said hammer and the engaging linger of said trigger cooperate in the usual manner.

The linger 33 extends upwardly in front of the extractor stein 16 in position to actuate said stem forwardly when the breechblock 3 is swung downwardly, and so acts- The openings in the sides of the frame'26 for the rivets 41, and the pivots 44, 39, 45, and 40, are drilled in said sides after the blank has been bent into proper shape, in-

stead of being initially cut in the blank,.be`

cause in the latter event oppositely-disposed openings might notbe in exact alignment with each other. f

The gun is opened by grasping the handle 11 and carrying' the same downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2,.thc lever'1 0 then being rocked on the pivot 39 in the direction to carry the pivot 23 rearwardly through the plane common to the aves of the pivots 22 and 39 and between said pivots 22 and 39. and still further rearwardly and cockedby the action thereon of the nose 24l of the link 12 while the pivot 23 is crossing the aforesaid plane, or kdirectly after such event. yAs soon as the hammer .5 is moved out ofthe customary locking position relativeto the breecl -block 3, the downwardlymoving lever 10, acting through the link 12, begins to draw down saidbreech-block and linally actuates the same into the position shown in Fig. 2.v The rocking movement of the breech-block extension 21 on the pivot 44, at this time, vcauses the finger 33 to. be carried into Contact with the front end of the stem 16, and to force the latter rearwardly and with vit the extractor 13, the movement of said extractor in this direc-v tion being limited bythe front face of the breech-block. The extractor slides the cartridge or shell from the chamber 14 afar enough to enable the same 'to be grasped with the thumb and linger and removed entirely. The cartridge is inserted in the chamber 14 with the bottom part of the rim of the cartridge shell in engagement with the rearwardly-disposed extractor 13, breech-block 3 is closed by grasping the handle .11 and swinging the saine with the lever 10 upwardly. rThis action simultaneously causes the extractor to be moved by the breech-blockforwardly and the finger 33 to be swung away from the advancing stem 16. The cartridge is forced completely into the chamber 14 by the risingbreech-block, and finally the latter is locked in closed position by the pivotal connections between. the lever 10 and the breech-block. lThe gun is now in readiness to have the hammer drawn back to full-cock, and then .to be released by pulling the trigger 6, thus firing the cartridge through the medium of the firing-pin 9.

lAs the handle 11 approaches the bottom of the frame 26, in closing the breech-block, the pivot 23 is forced through and forward of the plane `connecting' the pivots 39 and 22, which'rcauses the parts to be locked, and, through the medium of the resilient abutment 31, said handleto be retained in contact with said-frame, all in the manner previously described in detail.

rlhe mechanism can, `of course, be operated in substantially the manner hereinbefore described without-azV cartridge or cartridge shell. f i i More or vless change in the shape, size, construction, and arrangement of some or all of the parts of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the same, or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

Vhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. As an improved article of manufacture, an open-top gun frame consisting of a piece of sheet-metal bent to form bottom and side members, and having trigger, operatingand the fio lever, and bolt openings out in such bottom member. f e

2. As an improved article of manufacture',

, an open-top gun frame comprising a piece of sheet-metal bentto form bottom and sidev metal bentto form bottomand yside vmein-iy bersl with :openings in said kbottom for workmgparts, anda retaining .block secured within said frame adjacent to the-reary endl thereof, r and formingwith said trame a vhousing'for the contiguous endy of' astoek.v f 4. As an improved article of manufacture,

ar gunv rframe comprising a piece ot; `sheet-L i metal bent to formbottom and sidefmembers with` opei'iings in said bottom member for working parte, and ay retaining block :secured i within said frame adjacent 'toi the' forward end thereof, and forming with saidframe a rhousing for vthe contiguous end of a 'toref wood. v

yso

5. 'is an improved article of manufacture,

agun frame'eomprisinga,pieeeot sheet- 'metal bent to form bottom and side `members with openings in saidbottom :member:

tor working parts, and retaining :bloeksse- Cured within said :trame adjacent to the ends thereof, and forming with said frame lions-i ings for the reception of contiguous portions of a stock and tore-wood.

6. The combination, in a gun, with a frame having an integral resilient member, of a breech-block having a. part pivotally connected with said frame and in engagement with said resilient member, and operating means for said breech-block.

7. The combination, in a gun, with a frame provided with a resilient member, of a breech-block having a part pivotally connected with said frame and in engagement with said resilient member, a lever pivotally connected with said frame, said lever having a handle, and a link pivotally connected with said lever and with said breech-block, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that, when said breech-block is kratifiant f raisedy into closed position by said lever and link, the pivotal connection between said lever and link passes the plane common to the axes of the pivotal connections between said'lever and frame and said link and breech-block, and f said resilient member f iframe, vand slotted Vto forni an integral: ref :7

silient abutment at the backend, oafbreeclif i block having a; part .pivotally connected with :said fra-me and in engagement with and operating meansv for said said abutment, breech-block. "i'

' 9. yThe combination, frame, a retaining block secured to said ytrame, and provided with iairesilient abutment, or" a breech-block having a part pivy otally connected withsaidframe and in enkga'gement with said abutment, a lever piv-` otally connected withsaid'frame, said lever havingva handle, and a link pivotally con nested with saidy lever and with said breeoh-r block` the construction and arrangementoi' parts being suohvthat, whensaidbreechbloclris raised yinto closed, position by said leverand llinlr, the pivotal connection be tween said leverand llinlrpasses the plane common to the axes oi? the pivotal conne@ tions between said leve-r and frame and said end EDWARD H. ELDER. Witnesses ALBERT J. BAILEY, JOHN F. PARDER.

in' a' gun, with a 

